iDirect iDX3.1 VSAT hubs

I've just phone interviewed Anthony Walker, of Bentley Walker Ltd, about
their recent announcement of all their iDirect hubs with iDX3.1 software
licences.

Several significant things you might like to know:

What has been done ?
Bentley Walker have upgraded all their iDirect hubs to the new iDX 3.1
platform to allow operation with the new low cost iDirect X1 satellite
internet access customer
terminals. These terminals provide users with satellite broadband, web site
access, email, VoIP etc.

Where has it been applied ?
This upgrade applies to Ku band networks in South America (AB1 and T12), in
the Middle East and Afghanistan (Eutelsat W6 and W7) and Africa (W3 A
and T11 ).
In C band, it applies to networks in Africa (W2A and AMOS5 A).
In Ka band, it will be deployed on Hylas around July /August 2012.

What are the implications?
The new iDirect X1 customer router is smaller and lower cost
and is expected to be very attractive to the loyal iDirect user base of local installers and local
service provider operations as well as to new government, utility and
commercial customers operating over large areas. Utility companies
(see below) are expected to be particularly interested in this new
technology as it is well tailored to narrowband inroutes with very large
number of terminals and very small inbound data rates.

At April 2012, iDirect X1 was available for use only on
the eight Ku band iDX3.1 networks operated by Bentley Walker as shown on the
right. Ka band service is due mid 2012 in Europe, Middle East and Africa on Hylas.

iDirect VSAT for utility networks:

Large-scale narrowband networks are a key application for
VSAT satellite communications. Today, this segment of the market
is growing in sophistication and industry reach, presenting
new opportunities for service providers.

For example, power, gas and oil utility companies require narrowband
connectivity to support SCADA monitoring at remote
substations. They also need narrowband to backhaul smart
meter data across thousands of rural collection points.
Finally, utility companies need to provision substations for
on-site video surveillance, data access, VoIP and backup
communications. And they need everything to run on the
same system.

Networks like these typically have a large number of
individual sites with remotes that are often idle for long periods. To be
competitive, service providers and operators need a cost effective
solution designed with bandwidth-efficient and
energy-efficient hardware. And they need an easy, quick
and affordable way to install and manage a large amount of
network devices in the field.

Introducing iDX 3.1

The latest operating software release for iDirect's innovative
Intelligent PlatformTM, iDX 3.1enables service providers to
offer narrowband service and support large-scale networks
affordably while integrating with high-speed enterprise
networks. The iDX 3.1 release has several key features.

iDirect is introducing a cost-effective remote bundle
optimized for large networks with small inbound channels
and single client applications. The bundle includes the new
Evolution® X1 remote, a low power, compact remote that
comes in an indoor and outdoor version, as well as a highly
efficient BUC and LNB.

The X1 features DVB-S2/ACM and TDMA, basic routing,
VLAN functionality and QoS. The outdoor version, with an
IP67 weatherproof casting, offers an extended temperature
range, passive cooling and multiple power options,
including DC. The bundle can also run on rechargeable
battery power using solar or an alternative power source.

The X1 remote is complemented by a new licensing
option for iDirect's XLC-M line card. This option enables
the XLC-M to support a 16-channel narrowband inbound
configuration. When coupled with an Evolution modulator
card, such as XLC-11 or XLC-10, it is ideal for networks
featuring one large outbound and multiple inbounds
supporting voice, data and video applications.

With iDX 3.1, iDirect Group Quality of Service has been
enhanced to support active, idle and dormant states. This
enables utility companies to manage network traffic more
efficiently by automatically adjusting to the bandwidth
requirements of inbound application needs.

Unlike narrowband systems that are contention based and
cannot guarantee minimum availability requirements, iDX
3.1 minimizes idle remote bandwidth without losing the
benefits of a deterministic access scheme. For organizations
with a mix of critical and non-critical applications on the
same network, this balances efficiency with responsiveness.